CASIO Develops World's First Transparent Ceramic Lens Using Murata's LUMICERA™
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CASIO
Develops World’s First Transparent Ceramic Lens
Using Murata’s LUMICERA™ *1 |
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August 02, 2004, TOKYO, JAPAN – Using its proprietary optical
technology, CASIO COMPUTER CO., LTD. has developed the world’s
first lens using transparent ceramics. This breakthrough will make
it possible to create zoom lenses for cameras with greatly reduced
profiles.
Ever since CASIO’s EXILIM thin card-size digital camera went
on sale, the entire digital camera market has undergone a huge change.
Compact digital cameras offering mobility in a small package have
become mainstream, while there has been a major push in technological
development to find better methods of creating smaller, thinner cameras.
CASIO is continuing to take the lead in this field by creating the
world’s first transparent ceramic lens using LUMICERA,
a transparent ceramic developed by Murata Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
LUMICERA has the same light transmitting qualities as optical
glass commonly used in today’s conventional camera lenses, however
it has two very important properties that caught CASIO’s attention.
Not only is LUMICERA’s refractive index (
= 2.08) much greater than that of optical glass (
= 1.5 – 1.85 *2), it
also offers superior strength. CASIO has been able to create a ceramic
lens with extremely high levels of precision thanks to several factors.
Under recommendations from CASIO, the material itself has been refined
for use in digital camera optical lenses by endowing it with improved
transmission of short wavelength light and eliminating pores (air
bubbles) that reduce transparency. CASIO has also established a complete
process involving the perfect combination of polishing material, time
and pressure, and by treating the lens with a special coating compatible
with a high refractive index.
By incorporating this lens into the construction of the zoom lenses
developed by CASIO over many years, a reduction in profile of approximately
20% has been made possible.
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| LUMICERA |
Transparent
Ceramic Lens |
Example
of lens composition |
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| *1. |
Murata
Manufacturing Co., Ltd. first developed transparent polycrystalline
ceramics successfully in February 2001. This polycrystalline
ceramic is a type of dielectric resonator material commonly
used in microwaves and millimeter waves. While offering superior
electrical properties, high levels of trasmissivity, and refractive
index, it also has good optical characteristics without birefringence. |
| *2. |
The
realistic refractive index of optical glass material. |
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| EXILIM
is a registered trademark of CASIO COMPUTER CO., LTD. |
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| LUMICERA
is a trademark of Murata Manufacturing Co., Ltd. |
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| About
LUMICERA Trademark and Community Trademark |
| LUMICERA
Trademark (TM) is applicable in the following countries:
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China,
Japan, Korea, Russia, Switzerland, Taiwan, USA |
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| LUMICERA
Community Trademark (CTM) is applicable in the following
countries: |
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Austria,
Belgium, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland,
France, Germany, Greece, Holland, Hungary, Ireland, Italy,
Latvia, Lithuania, Luxemburg, Malta, Poland, Portugal,
Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, UK |
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